Candidates for UG Commission, 4th District, talk about experience, qualifications

Candidates for the Unified Government Commission, 4th District, include Harold Johnson, left, and incumbent Tarence Maddox. The candidates participated in a forum March 18 at Kansas City Kansas Community College, moderated by Murrel Bland, center. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Candidates for the Unified Government Commission, 4th District, include Harold Johnson, left, and incumbent Tarence Maddox, right. The candidates participated in a forum March 18 at Kansas City Kansas Community College, moderated by Murrel Bland, center. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

by Mary Rupert

In the Unified Government Commission, 4th District contest, experience and qualifications are some of the differences between the candidates.

Unified Government Commissioner Tarence Maddox faces Harold Johnson in the April 7 general election. Johnson was in first place in the primary, with 470 votes to Maddox’s 310 votes.

The 4th District candidates spoke at a forum March 18 at Kansas City Kansas Community College, sponsored by Business West, KCKCC and neighborhood business revitalization groups.

Maddox, a graduate of Schlagle High School, is running on his experience of four years serving on the UG Commission, and said he would not tell voters anything that he couldn’t do. “I will not sell dreams,” Maddox told the audience.

He said he was passionate about the community and isn’t going anywhere. “I’m going to be here in Wyandotte County,” Maddox said. He said he was active and engaged in the community.

Maddox also said he had learned a lot in his four years on the commission.

His challenger is the pastor at the Faith Deliverance Family Worship Center, who formerly worked at Commerce Bank’s program for nonprofit organizations’ building projects for 22 years.

“I bring a unique commercial financial background to the table which will make a positive impact in the community,” Johnson said. He added he was not afraid to look at the numbers and analyze them. He also said he was a consensus builder and believes in building relationships.

Johnson graduated from Sumner Academy, Kansas City Kansas Community College, and has a master’s in business administration in finance degree from Avila University.

Johnson said he wants to create a strategic vision with the neighborhood alliances in the 4th District.

On the topic of increasing homeownership east of I-635, Johnson said a multifaceted approach to housing is needed. He said they would need to look at helping people purchase homes through incentives and also creating rental housing such as duplexes and apartments .

Maddox said increasing homeownership was a complex topic, and the northeast and midtown area had been neglected. The cost of new homes can be higher than what buyers can afford, he said.

“We have to make the 4th District a place where people want to be,” Maddox said. It’s important to decrease crime, he said. More apartments for higher-income persons may be one solution.

To spur revitalization in the district, Johnson said it is necessary to look at a small business model, and build an infrastructure in the urban core. He would support encouraging businesses to create jobs for the 4th District residents in the 4th District.

Maddox said that to spur revitalization, it would be necessary to bring more apartments into the area and increase the population. To lure more businesses to the district, they would have to make the district more pro-business and reduce crime, he said. He added it would be a long process to develop the area and he would continue to work on it.

The subject of Maddox’s censure by the UG legislative auditor for using his title in personal business one year ago was not brought up at the candidate forum March 18.

Send your news and comments to Wyandotte Daily at [email protected].

To see previous stories on the 4th District campaign, visit:
https://wyandotteonline.com/experience-views-on-economic-development-separate-candidates-for-4th-district-ug-commission/
https://wyandotteonline.com/johnson-seeking-4th-district-ug-commission-seat/
https://wyandotteonline.com/maddox-seeking-re-election/

Schedule of the KCKCC cable video of candidate forum, starting today:
https://wyandotteonline.com/candidate-forum-to-be-shown-on-cable-tv-next-week/

Bynum, Gilstrap advance to general election for UG, 1st District, at large contest

In unofficial returns, Melissa Bynum and Mark Gilstrap advanced to the general election for the Unified Government Commission, 1st District, at large contest.

Bynum was in first place with 23 votes to spare. She received 1,125 votes to Gilstrap’s 1,102 votes.

Nathan Barnes, who led most of the evening, was a very close third, with 1,092 votes, only 10 votes short of Gilstrap.

Melissa Bynum (Staff file photo)
Melissa Bynum (Staff file photo)

Mark Gilstrap (Staff file photo)
Mark Gilstrap (Staff file photo)

The leader of the UG Commission, 4th District, contest was Harold Johnson, with 470 votes.

In second place was incumbent Commissioner Tarence Maddox, with 306 votes.

Harold Johnson (Staff file photo)
Harold Johnson (Staff file photo)

Tarence Maddox (Staff file photo)
Tarence Maddox (Staff file photo)

In the Board of Public Utilities, at large, position 3, contest, Chris McCord was leading with 2,020 votes.

In second place was Norm Scott with 1,886 votes.

Chris McCord (Staff file photo)
Chris McCord (Staff file photo)

Norm Scott (Staff file photo)
Norm Scott (Staff file photo)

These are final unofficial returns. Twenty-five precincts of 25 are reporting.

Voter turnout was 6,406, which is 9.9 percent of the registered voters.

It was a better turnout than the February 2013 primary election, when there was a 7.9 percent turnout, and a snowstorm. The March 2011 primary election had a 7.9 percent turnout.

The general election will be April 7.

UG Commissioner, 1st District at large

Nathan Barnes 1,092
Melissa Brune Bynum 1,125
Mark Gilstrap 1,102
LaVert A. Murray 721
Tamika Pledger 122
Christal Watson 538
Janice (Grant) Witt 178

UG Commissioner, 4th District

Harold Johnson 470
Tarence L. Maddox 306
Scott C. Murray 105

BPU, at large position 3

Murray D. Anderson Sr. 838
Thomas H. Gordon 1,237
Chris McCord 2,020
Norman D. Scott 1,886